Bounty Hunter
by Sohanna
Summary: "He's leading investigations, I bet. He hasn't shared any news yet, but I feel he will once the evidence is found. I want him silenced for good." The bounty hunter nodded, smiling prepared to take her prey. Ratings likely to change.
1. Prologue: Hired

"You think you're good for this job, eh?"

The wandering eyes of a maroon monkey glanced back at the short human at the desk. His hands were folded on his desk, and he was formally dressed.

The robot monkey was clad in only several belts containing different guns and several types of ammo.

"Sure," she sighed. Her voice was high yet raspy, and a small, devious smile was on her lips. "How hard could it be?"

"He's an expert," the man replied, leaning back in his chair. "If he were like you, I'd hire him instead."

The smile on the red monkey's lips disappeared.

"Really?"

"Hands down," he said. "But unfortunately, he's not a bit like you…"

She smiled again. "If he's that good, I find it hard to believe. How different could he be?

The man stood, glancing through the blinds of the window, then sat back down. The woman rolled her eyes. The room was dimly lit. Even if someone was outside they couldn't see.

"He's better than you'd think. I believe he's got a feeling about my company," the man explained. "He knows something."

He glared harshly at the monkey.

"He's leading investigations, I bet. He hasn't shared any news yet, but I feel he will once the evidence is found. I want him silenced for good."

She nodded.

"So your company's doing something illegal?"

He snarled.

"If you tell anyone…"

"Your secret's safe… but it'll cost extra."

The man huffed.

"Fine, then," he said.

The robot monkey stared at the man expectantly. He took a few minutes to decipher her expression.

"Would you like part of your pay now?"

"No." She waved a hand through the air. "It's less work trying to return the money if the job is done incorrectly. You'll give me all of it when he's dead."

"Then what are you waiting for?"

She raised an eyebrow.

"I can't find this guy if I don't know his face."

The man's eyebrows raised in realization.

"So… you want a picture?"

She nodded. The man opened a drawer in his desk. He ripped out a newspaper. Relatively new.

_The Shuggazoom Squire_

"This helps me none," she said snarling.

"He's on the front page."

She read the headliner quickly.

_Hyperforce Ends War; Universe at Peace_

Beneath it was a picture of five monkeys and a human. The colors were sketchy, but one stood out above the rest. His fur glinted in the sunlight, and the picture was blurred because of it. The rest of the monkeys were normal colored.

"The silver one. He's your target," the man said.

"Antauri…" she muttered, fascinated.

"You know him?"

She shook her head.

"Caption," she explained, quickly.

"Ah…"

The girl folded the newspaper and dropped it into the bag next to her.

"Well then… I suppose I'd better get going," she smiled. "I got a job to do."

She grabbed the bag and spun towards the door. She smugly saluted the man at the desk, then walked out.

"If you don't do your job correctly," the man warned, "the consequences are severe."

The girl laughed.

"Good luck finding me if that happens."

Ah… it feels so good to be uploading again.

I have nothing to say but, read and review please!


	2. First Meetings

The smoky atmosphere surrounded the red monkey. She glanced over the page of info another man had given her.

She vaguely recalled herself asking the words, 'How hard could this be?" She realized how stupid she'd been.

This was a _master. _He could read her head from a mile away, and he'd be immune to the charms she usually used on men.

She huffed out angrily. The smell of smoke flooding her nose.

"Hey, babe…"

The monkey glanced over her shoulder. Another monkey was next to her, almost to the point of drop dead drunk.

"Wanna come with me?"

She girl smiled.

"I'm afraid not," she said sweetly. She lifted a foot, pressing it firmly to the man's chest. She shoved the man back angrily. He flew into a table.

"No way, no how," she hissed, "you drunk hobo."

The monkey snarled, then hobbled up to her.

"Listen here, you…" He swayed, his head dipping low. "…No woman… will ever boss me around."

The bounty hunter wasn't wearing her belts anymore, but she reached into the compartment in her arm, yanking out a tiny gun. She shot so close to him that only he could see the gun that was pressed to his chest.

"Sorry, bub. Your record's broken," she hissed.

She shoved the gun back into the compartment and strode out. The alley outside was almost as smoky as it was on the inside. Several thugs too cheap to go inside were smoking and chugging new whiskey.

She walked up to one of them.

"You have something?" she asked.

He wagged a drunken head.

"Whuh?"

She sighed and looked to another one.

"And you? Or are you drunk, too?"

The boy, too young to actually be drinking, tossed her a bottle. She wondered for a minute why he wasn't drunk, but then decided she didn't care. She tossed him some crumpled Shuggazoomian money, then she walked off, heading back to the crummy hotel she was currently living in.

By the time she was nearly a block away, the amount of beer left in her bottle hadn't changed. She leaned against a wall, glancing around quickly.

There was no one in sight within a block of her. She smiled.

She finally took a long drink out of the bottle she had. She pulled it away from her mouth, sighing.

"For a city with temperance laws, the beer here is good," she muttered. She tipped the bottle to have more…

"Hello."

All the beer in her mouth went spewing out. She spun, towards the sound.

"Who's there?"

To her awe, a silver monkey stepped out of the shadows. He raised a hand. The bottle magically floated out of her hand. The other monkey examined the bottle's label.

"This is imported," he muttered.

The bounty hunter snarled.

"So? Who cares?"

The silver monkey smashed the bottle, the liquid spewing all over the ground.

"It's against the law to have imported beer on you in this city," he said. "I'm afraid I'm going to have to take you to the police department."

The woman laughed.

"If you think those bozo police can hold me, you're out of your mind."

The other raised an eyebrow.

"Then perhaps I should bring you back to HQ…"

She reached into her compartment and yanked out a gun.

"I'm armed," she warned. "I don't care what the consequences are."

She fought a smile. It was almost too perfect. Antauri played right into her hands without even knowing it. He'd be dead in five minutes, maybe less, since he wasn't armed. It would be easy to drag the body to the lake and toss it.

"What's your name?" he demanded, his brow furrowing.

"You don't know?" she asked, incredulously.

Antauri just stared.

"Take another good look at the 'Wanted' posters next time you're in the police office. You might see me," she said.

He growled. "I asked your name."

"My names Ariel Arepta. I'm the best bounty hunter in the galaxy."

"And what's the reason you're on Shuggazoom?" he asked.

"I'm pointing my gun at it," Ariel replied, smugly.

He glanced down the barrel of the gun.

"Who's your employer and why does he want to kill me?"

She smiled.

"I'm being paid to keep that a secret. Now if you'll excuse me, I have a job to do…"

She was prepared to pull the trigger, but faster than she could blink, Antauri had Ariel in a hold that she couldn't escape. He twisted her wrist until the gun fell out of her hand.

Ariel shot up her leg and managed to kick Antauri in the eye. He let go, growling in pain, and she scrambled away. She grabbed her gun off the ground, darting to Antauri's side and shoving the barrel of the gun to his head.

"Now… d-don't you move! I'll shoot!"

Antauri moved as fast as he had before, swiftly catching her hand and knocking the gun out of it.

"Antauri to Hyperforce!"

_Shit!_

She rolled out of his grasp, grabbed the gun, and darted towards the lake, away from her hotel. She wove an intricate path through the alleyways and streets of the city, hoping to lose the ever vigilant silver monkey.

Antauri was always on her tail. She couldn't shake him.

Once she was in an open area, she spun, and pulled the trigger on the gun.

She saw Antauri flinch and stop. He grabbed his arm. Split wires were visible through the scratch she'd made.

_Dammit! _She thought. _I missed!_

She turned and kept running, headed towards the hotel.

As she ran, she felt another mind intruding her own. She stopped. She'd been attacked by mystics like this before. She blocked it quickly, but not before a single message made itself clear.

_You're never going to get away with this…'_

* * *

**So. This was fun. I hope I'm doing a good job. Read and Review, again please, or you get a boot to the head.**

…**I'm kidding, in case you didn't know…**


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